Drug Information

Drug companies used to focus their marketing strategies exclusively on doctors. They spent millions on sales representatives who traveled the country chatting up physicians and handing out free sample…

Dermatologists love antibiotics. They prescribe proportionately more antibiotics than other medical specialties. Do not take our word for this! Here is a quote from an article in JAMA Dermatology (Jan…

Infectious disease experts worry a lot about the problem of bacterial resistance related to inappropriate antibiotics. A study of patient records suggests that doctors in the US may be prescribing ant…

Not everyone can tolerate statins to lower cholesterol. Some people react to drugs like atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin or simvastatin with muscle pain and weakness, arthritis, mus…

Older people may be at particular risk of falls and fractures when they take antidepressants. Back in 2012, experts added SSRI and SNRI type drugs such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and venlafaxine (Effexor)…

We would be the first to admit that the Food and Drug Administration has a LOT of responsibilities. The agency is supposed to ensure that our food supply is safe. It monitors those never-ending prescr…

An underactive thyroid gland is a surprisingly common condition, affecting up to 5 percent of adult Americans. More people experience subclinical hypothyroidism than overt hypothyroidism. Nonetheless,…

"Swelling" as a drug side effect doesn't seem like that big a deal. And yet drug-induced swelling can be unpleasant at best and life threatening at worst. Amlodipine (Norvasc) is the second most presc…

What causes heart disease? There are a number of risk factors, including cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, diabetes and others. One well-known risk is high cholesterol. Has …

OK, we admit it, we're starting to sound like a cracked record when it comes to drug recalls. We apologize. It is really sad that we have to issue regular reports about FDA oversight and pharmaceutica…

We first began to suspect the quality of generic drugs nearly two decades ago. That's because a mother complained to us about a generic form of the brand name Ritalin aka methylphenidate. She knew her…

Are you becoming numb to FDA generic drug recalls? We wouldn't blame you if you were. The ARB debacle came to light on July 5, 2018. That's when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) started warning cou…

The symptoms drive you to distraction. Eczema or atopic dermatitis can cause itchy red skin. The rash can show up on hands, wrists, arms, legs, face, neck or scalp. The itching can be especially awful…

Have you checked your blood pressure recently? Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) encourage physicians to treat people with systolic bloo…

Tens of millions of people take statins such as atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin. Most physicians acknowledge that they have patients who complain about muscle pain …

A large antitrust suit against generic drug companies has been building for a few years. When we first heard about this situation in November, 2016, approximately a dozen generic firms were implicated…

Millions of people take statins to lower their cholesterol levels.Here are just a few examples of the numbers of prescription filled each year: atorvastatin= 97 million; simvastatin= 65 million; prava…

Whenever a new drug is introduced, we want to know two things: how well does it work? and also, what are the side effects? We recently wrote about the flu medicine Xofluza, which shortens the duration…

Parents across the country have been alarmed today to hear that some brands of ibuprofen sold as fever medicine for infants have been recalled. What led the manufacturer, Tris Pharma Inc., to recall i…

We know we sound like a cracked record when it comes to mail-order medicines. That's because no one seems to want to take responsibility. The FDA has very strict guidelines for temperature fluctuation…

Many personal care products such as soaps, shampoos, deodorants, perfumes and cosmetics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These include phthalates, parabens and phenols such as triclosan, which …

Millions of people take benzodiazepines every day. Such drugs are variously described as anti-anxiety agents, sedatives, hypnotics (to aid sleep) or benzos for short. At last count about five million …

Anticholinergic drugs are generally bad for the brain. They affect the crucial neurochemical acetylcholine. One worry about anticholinergic drugs is a link to memory problems or Alzheimer's disease (J…

There have not been many new advances in migraine treatment until recently. The triptans, starting with sumatriptan (Imitrex), were the last so-called breakthroughs against migraines. That was 25 year…

The ongoing saga of contaminated valsartan continues with another valsartan recall. In July, European drug regulators recalled Chinese-made valsartan because it was contaminated with a probable carcin…

It makes sense to inform yourself about the potential harms as well as benefits that might result from any medications you plan to take. But for certain drugs the list of possible side effects is long…

Americans love sleeping pills, especially Ambien (zolpidem). At last count nearly 20 million prescriptions are dispensed annually in the U.S. Once people start taking Ambien (zolpidem), many keep on t…

Physicians and pharmacists are super busy these days. Some pharmacists have confided to us that they feel like they are in an I love Lucy skit like this one where Lucy and Ethel wrap chocolates. Patie…

No, no, no, no no! Not again!! Just last week we said "Not Again" when we learned that that some formulations of the blood pressure drug irbesartan were contaminated with the impurity NDEA (N-nitrosod…

If we say low testosterone, you might think of a TV ad starring a middle-aged man worried about "low T." But even though testosterone is the quintessential "male" hormone, women make it too. Could a p…

Could a supplement that people take for heart health actually lead to heart rhythm changes? Most people take fish oil with the expectation that it will lower their likelihood of a heart attack or stro…

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About the Author

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.” Read 's Full Bio.